


All that Glitters Ain't Gold, but the Guy who Glitters is Worth Way More

by 1helluvabutler



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, oblivious jace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 13:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9182974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1helluvabutler/pseuds/1helluvabutler
Summary: Jace goes into Magnus' apartment with one threat, and is forced to leave with another.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i think this could sorta kinda maybe technically be considered an AU idk
> 
> also i know jace isnt this oblivious but just pretend its because he notices nothing besides clary

The welcoming expression on Magnus’ face twitched into annoyance as soon as he recognized the person at his doorstep as Jace. "And I'm going to assume you need me for something right now."

 

"In a way," Jace raised his eyebrows expectantly, smile still glazed to showcase what he calculated to be the perfect amount of charm. Apparently his calculations were correct, because the warlock sighed, but moved aside to let him in. Remnants of an earlier party still hung around the loft, glitter speckling seemingly every single surface in various amounts, not to mention the snoring body half-hidden by one of the kitchen counters. Chairman Meow was _pink_.

 

Magnus trudged past him, bare feet leaving light tracks into the crud on the floor; the white carpet got two extra footprint-shaped coats of glitter when the warlock stopped there, a martini glass, filled with what Jace assumed was coffee appearing into his hand. "So. What can you possibly need this time. "

 

"Let's make this short," Jace said, tearing his eyes away from the pink ball of fur strutting around the glittering floor to fix an icy stare on the warlock. "I'm actually here to threaten you."

 

"At least you're honest," Magnus snorted. "What doom do I have the pleasure of being threatened with and what did I do to deserve it?"

 

"Isabelle Lightwood to answer both questions."

 

Magnus blinked slowly, eyebrows dipping downwards a bit in obvious confusion as he sipped his coffee. "I’m not sure I follow."

 

Jace let the friendly-ish grin he had been sporting so far disappear as he took a heavy step towards the warlock. Magnus created a few marshmallows into his drink with a tired expression.

 

"Izzy can more than take care of herself and doesn’t need me protecting her, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass if you ever hurt her or break her heart, you got that?"

 

 _That_ seemed to finally catch Magnus’ attention. "Me? Breaking Izzy’s heart? How, and more importantly, _why_ would I do that?" He tilted his head disapprovingly.

 

"I overheard some faeries talking yesterday, Magnus. Saying all sorts of things about your latest party," Jace spoke smugly, savoring the way the warlock seemed to be one step behind Jace for once. "A party where ‘Magnus Bane finally claimed the Lightwood child’, quote unquote, something like that. That sound familiar?”

 

"Oh. _Oh_." Magnus’ eyes widened suddenly, and Jace could hear the sharp intake of breath even from where he was standing.

 

A twisted sense of victory crowed in Jace as the warlock’s eyes flitted down to the marshmallow he was fishing out with two fingers. "So you admit-"

 

"No, I had nothing to do with Isabelle."

 

"What-" Jace cut himself off, the simmer of fresh confusion quickly turning to annoyance. “The Faerie-folk can’t lie, Magnus, and I really wish you couldn’t either."

 

"I’m not," Magnus said innocently.

 

Jace felt his his eyelid twitch in frustration. "You and Izzy-"

 

Magnus interrupted Jace's train of thought with a burst of laughter. "Me and Izzy?"

 

Catlike eyes now glinting with humor, the warlock played with the rim of his martini glass. "Don't get me wrong, I _adore_ Isabelle, but she and I are not exactly the people meant for each other."

 

Jace’s mind went blank. "But-"

 

"’The Lightwood child’?" Magnus quirked a single glittering eyebrow at him over the coffee. "Golden boy, you do know there is more than one Lightwood, right?"

 

You could have heard a cat's footsteps in the silence that followed. Actually, Magnus _could_ hear the little pat-pat of Chairman Meow among the sparse snores, wandering around the kitchen in search of extra food. He made a mental note to restock the cupboards later, since he was running a bit low on those fancy salmon tins Chairman Meow was so horrifyingly fond of.

 

Jace stared at the warlock, opening and closing his mouth dumbly. "Oh," he finally managed.

 

"Oh," Magnus replied, taking another sip of his drink.

 

"But if you're not dating Izzy, then-"

 

Once again, Jace was interrupted when the person in question chose _exactly_ that moment to walk into the room wearing nothing but a pair of low-riding pants, reading off the label of some kind of bottle in his hand and Jace absently wondered to himself if he had actually managed to ask out a single question during his short visit.

 

"Hey Magnus, do you have any shampoo that _doesn't_ glitter, because I-" Alec looked up and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw his parabatai standing next to Magnus (who, Jace noticed, was now directing his catlike eyes straight at the revealed body.)

 

"Jace," he managed after a moment, voice laced with surprise, eyes flitting to Magnus in a questioning manner. The warlock merely shrugged and went back to very shamelessly ogling Alec's bare torso. "Is everything alright?"

 

"Hey Alec. Yeah, everything’s great- I just needed to talk to Magnus about something," Jace replied, trying very much to ignore the tell-tale trail of finger-shaped markings disappearing over Alec's shoulder. Also the fresh cluster of tiny bruises peppering the front of his runed chest. Holy hell, his parabatai’s sex life was something Jace was never supposed to have been aware of.

 

"You see? Not her," Magnus said cheerfully, plopping a soggy-looking marshmallow in his mouth.

 

"Alright, well-" Jace shifted uneasily, suddenly feeling just a tiny bit out of place at the warlock’s loft. "I should probably get going now."

 

"Goodbye, Jace!"

 

"Magnus, whether it’s her or not, my promise still stands," Jace snarled, narrowing his eyes at the waving warlock. "Don’t you dare-"

 

"I would never," Magnus’ face turned serious. "I swear on that."

 

"Right. I’ll see you guys later."

 

* * *

 

The front door clicked shut, leaving two pairs of eyes to stare at the locking mechanism curling itself around the intricate web of metallic pegs on the inside of the door. The apartment was quiet except for the snoring from under the kitchen counter.

 

Alec was the first to break the near-silence. "What was that all about?"

 

Magnus exhaled loudly, downing more of his warm coffee as he turned to face the shadowhunter. "Your friend thinks of himself as a hero who needs to protect his friends at every possible moment. But it’s nothing you have to worry about, seeing as he won’t ever have a chance to fulfill that threat."

 

"What-"

 

"Enough of him, Alec dear, he realized his mistake as soon as you walked in here."

 

Alec nodded slowly, gaze still fixed on the door like he was expecting Jace to burst back through it at any second.

 

"And speaking of you walking in earlier..."  The warlock trailed off victoriously when the blue eyes immediately snapped back to him instead. Magnus’ martini glass disappeared with a puff of blue smoke as he sauntered towards Alec, a smirk as devious as his thoughts curling his lips.

 

"Alexander," Magnus practically purred the name. "You know _very_ well that I keep my non-glittering products in the left cabinet above my sink."

 

Alec stiffened but didn't back away as Magnus stopped before him and slowly trailed a single finger down his bare torso, leaving goosebumps in its wake. The warlock's eyes hungrily drank in the sight of his well-manicured nail moving over the rippling muscles underneath the pale skin; nasty thoughts of what else his nails could do on those muscles shamelessly crowded Magnus' mind.  "In fact, _you_ are one of the main reasons I even have a separate cabinet for non-glittering products."

 

The rune across Alec’s throat moved as he swallowed.

 

"So do tell me-" the warlock's arms wound themselves lazily around Alec's neck, forcing the shadowhunter to step closer and lessen the distance between them. "What were you _really_ trying to do?"

 

"I was trying to get you to join me in the shower," Alec admitted, tips of his ears slowly growing red as he stared back, refusing to break eye contact despite his obvious embarrassment.  Magnus grinned at the shadowhunter's sudden boldness.  "Did it work?"

 

Magnus pretended to consider the thought, hands already playfully roaming downwards on Alec’s back. "Hm, well-"

 

Alec’s lips on his drowned the rest of his fake protest, turning every single inch of him into the most willing kind of warlock putty.

 

"I dare say that it did," Magnus purred when they finally parted for air, squeezing Alec hungrily closer to himself. His eyes glinted dangerously as he gave Alec one last peck.

 

"But first, Alexander, let's go kick that werewolf out of my kitchen."

**Author's Note:**

> magnus the extra™ would drink coffee out of martini glasses
> 
> time-to-change-away.tumblr.com


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